Breaking the Rules
by rcmero
Summary: GLaDOS has just obtained her new and improved Enrichment Centre thanks to the Combine's efforts. Every single pony in Equestria is now forced to do her tests. One of the first ponies GLaDOS tests on is a colt with the name of Poetic Thrill. Who can teleport without using magic. This should be interesting.


_**A/N: This is my contribution to Rethkir's A Trusted Friend in Science and Ponies, which is a Fan Sequel to Pen Stroke's Better Living Through Science and Ponies. You may have heard about that story. **_

_**In the author's notes of chapter 22, Rethkir asked for submissions involving the following chapter, which is meant to chronicle the testing of various Equestrian characters. Obviously, I had to jump in.**_

_**This also has obvious shameless self-advertising to my Portal 2 maps. You can download the first one I submitted on my Steam Workshop. I have another one I am about to finish, just need to place the ending elevator and fix bugs and it should be good to go.**_

_**Also, this is my first time writing anything Portal-related in years. I **_**really **_**need to get back to Port-Ed 2.**_

_**(By the way, I did the cover art myself in Garry's Mod. About the only thing that is not mine from those models is the boots. But you can get those easily from deviantART.)**_

* * *

I have no idea what just happened. One minute I was in my house, working on the last chapter of my book and foalsitting my sister, and next thing I know, I get ponynapped by these strange ponies in gas masks and get knocked out of commission.

When I wake up, I find myself inside a pod of some sort in this sterile environment with way too much white. Seriously, could it hurt too much to bring in some internal decorators to this place? Rarity would be all over this.

What's more, my sister was nowhere to be found. I swear to Celestia, if they've done something to her I am going to kill somepony.

_"Hello, and welcome to the Aperture Science Enrichment Centre."_

Aperture Science? Oh sweet Celestia, please no. This is not who I think it is. Please no. Dear sweet Celestia please don't let this be who I think it is.

_"Now let me see…"_ I hear a sound similar to that of shuffling papers. It drags on for quite a while. _"According to the information files I obtained from the Combine, you must be Poetic Thrill."_

"So you know my name, big woop. The question is, who are you?" I already had a feeling of who it was, but it wouldn't hurt to check.

_"Well, since you're asking so nicely, I'll provide you that information."_ Please, please, please… _"I am known as the Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System. Many call me GLaDOS. You may."_ Yep, it totally is who I thought it was.

Better cut to the chase. "What have you done with my sister?"

_"Oh, she is just fine. In case you were not informed, _everypony_ is a test subject now. Your sister is just in another testing wing."_

"So help me Celestia, if you lay a single hoof on her, I will kill you!"

_"Oh please, somepony already killed me before. Not enjoyable."_

"Well, I'll kill you again if I have to! I'm warning you right now, keep your dirty hooves off my sister!"

_"Feisty little colt, aren't you? Tell you what, if you solve my tests, I'll let you see your sister."_

"You promise?"

_"I'll even do the… what do you ponies call it?"_ Ominous pause. _"The Pinkie Promise."_ Long pause. Apparently GLaDOS never had to do a Pinkie Promise. _"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."_

I crossed my eyes for a short while. I still didn't trust GLaDOS, but she did say she would let me see my sister. And she did Pinkie Promise. "Okie dokie lokie..." Thought of using one of Pinkie's lines right there.

_"Good. Just walk through the portal and we'll begin the tests."_

* * *

_"Please proceed to the chamber lock. Mind the gap."_

I looked at the chamber I was dropped in. There was a portal on the other side of a gap. I looked at it, and at the portal gun on my hoof.

I smiled. I had a way I could cheat at this test and there was nothing GLaDOS could do about it. I mean, I ain't technically using magic.

If I was gonna be stuck in here, against my will, forced to do these ridiculous tests, better make her time a living Tartarus.

Anyway, I paused, looked at the gap and stomped my hoof twice. I instantly teleported to the other side of the gap.

Of course, this made GLaDOS mad.

_"What do you think you're doing?"_

"Solving your test, what do ya think I'm doing?"

_"But you're not supposed to teleport! You can't do magic!"_

I touched my horn. Sure enough, there was something similar to that of a magic inhibitor, which would explain why I wasn't able to just levitate the portal gun when I got it.

I smiled. "Who says I need magic to teleport?"

I then heard a scream coming from GLaDOS. She's pissed, mission accomplished.

_"How can you even _do _that?"_

"I learned this from my human self, of course. He came here, said he was looking for somepony and he gave me this trick to use whenever I'm in a cinch and can't use magic. Like now."

_"But how does _he _know how to teleport? He has no horn!"_

"He said he got it from some girl who calls herself Child. I didn't get all the details."

I smiled and teleported past the second gap.

_"Stop it!"_

"Hey, if you ponynapped us for your amusement, I'd better make this hard for you!"

* * *

I entered the next test. Fairly empty, I saw a dropper and a button linking towards the dropper. I pressed the button. The dropper opened up yet there was nothing there.

_"Oops. Guess I forgot to place a cube on that dispenser. Guess you'll just have to get it yourself."_

"No problem!"

With that, I stomped my hoof twice and teleported to the top of the dropper.

_"I didn't mean it like that!"_

"You ain't the boss of me! Now I see a whole bunch of cubes in the corner, I'll just grab one of those."

* * *

Oh boy, that was a tricky chamber. The second part with the rocket launcher was especially tricky. Using the rocket to break the glass was a very ingenious testing mechanic, hats off to you GLaDOS.

...this is you making these tests, right?

I saw a couple of monitors with GLaDOS's face on it-which looked surprisingly like Princess Celestia's. That murdering psychopath did something to her, I know it.

As soon as I saw that face, I immediately guided a rocket towards the monitor, venting off my frustration. Of course, GLaDOS was pissed about it. Scream all you want, it won't do anything.

I was currently at the last part of the chamber. I saw a energy ball launcher and a moving platform. I believe GLaDOS is expecting me to use my cube to reflect the energy ball and use the platform to reach the end of the chamber. And knowing her, there will probably be some turrets spawning while I ride the platform.

Of course, I can just teleport to the other side of the platform and avoid all this. Which is what I did.

Once I got to the other side, I saw something I did not expect.

A button. To place a cube on.

And I placed the cube on the other side.

"Oh, buck."

_"That's what you get for cheating."_

* * *

"There, I solved your stupid test." I had just done the last part of the test. That energy ball seriously was going to hit me once. Then I had to wait for the platform to come back. And then I had to dodge gunfire, just as I thought would happen. After finally placing the cube on the button, I was exhausted. "Can I see my sister now?"

_"No,"_ was GLaDOS's reply.

"What? Why the buck not?"

_"Because you are a cheater."_

"And you are a murdering psychopath. Your point is?"

_"Okay, I understand that you are upset with me. But tell you what, solve this last test without cheating and I'll let you see your sister."_

I crossed my eyes again. "You sure?"

_"Trust me, it's not even a test."_

"Okie dokie lokie…"

* * *

After opening the door that opens the next test and taking the cube that dropped with me, I realized just what I was dropped on.

"A maze? Seriously?"

_"I told you it wasn't even a test."_

I sighed. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

With that, I placed a portal on the ceiling and jumped down.

* * *

This was not your standard run-of-the-mill maze. There were all kinds of distractions like energy balls and buttons, forcing me to examine every single inch of the maze. Luckily it wasn't a big maze, but still.

"I knew you had turrets there at the end," I said when I reached the end. I saw a button linked to the exit door and two turrets' lines of sight. The turrets were easy to dispatch thanks to the cube.

_"Enjoyable, wasn't it?"_

"Yeah, very. Now I solved your test and I didn't teleport once. Not like I knew where I was teleporting, anyway. Can I see my sister now?"

_"A deal is a deal. Waddle over to the elevator."_

"Yeah, well, you _did_ Pinkie Promise."

* * *

Once I left the elevator, I climbed up the stairs leading to an observation room. On the looks of things, I was seeing another maze.

"How many mazes do you have?"

_"I have an endless supply of them."_

There was no way she had an endless supply of mazes. Unless she had a program on her system that created the mazes for her. That doesn't explain the energy balls and buttons, though.

After a short while with nothing happening, and before I could even ask GLaDOS if she dropped me on the right chamber, I saw a blue portal being created on the ceiling. From that portal, a pink filly dropped down.

My pink filly. My sister.

By Luna's moon, GLaDOS was telling the truth for once.

"Theresa!" I immediately pressed my muzzle towards the glass. I watched her look around, as if looking for something.

Suddenly, she noticed me. She walked towards the glass and placed a hoof towards it. I placed a hoof on my side of the glass, making it touch her hoof.

...that makes sense, right?

"Yes, it's me, your big brother." I wondered if she could hear me. "Sorry I can't be there for you, little sis. But this is something you must do yourself."

I saw a tear fall down her eye.

_"Yes, yes, yes, family reunion is over. Now you must let her solve the maze."_ Typical of GLaDOS to ruin the moment.

I put away my hoof from the glass. I hate to say it, but a tear fell down from my cheek too.

Heading back to the elevator, I asked: "Now what?"

_"Now?"_ Pause. _"Now is time for the second round of testing."_

"But of course." I sighed. Just knowing my sister was alright gave me the strength to go on. "Let's do this, I guess."

With that, I entered the elevator. As it went up, I heard GLaDOS say _"And no cheating!"_

* * *

_**A/N: Halfway through writing this chapter I received a private message from Rethkir saying OCs aren't allowed except under very specific circumstances.**_

_**Oh well. I'll just finish this up anyway and keep it on my account. It works just as well standalone anyway.**_

_**Also, before you ask, I am still working on Parallel Equestria Girls. Halfway through with the final chapter already.**_

_**(First person to guess the reference I placed in this story gets to suggest an OC for the sequel to PEG. Not promising I'll add it, though.)**_


End file.
